Michael Bourret is a New York-based partner at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret whose list spans commercial young adult, middle grade, and select adult fiction and nonfiction — with a demonstrated track record of shepherding series to bestseller status and award recognition.
In brief
The sales record and client roster reveal a consistent strength in series-driven middle grade and YA fiction — clients like Lisa McMann (Unwanteds) and Heather Brewer (Vladimir Tod) both produced multi-book New York Times bestselling series, signaling that Bourret has real editorial and commercial muscle with long-arc children's fiction.
Sara Zarr's National Book Award finalist Story of a Girl is the clearest marker of Bourret's literary YA credibility alongside the commercial work — this is an agent who can sell both prestige-minded and mainstream young adult.
The adult nonfiction side of the list (Susan RoAne's business/self-help titles) shows range beyond children's publishing, though the children's categories appear to dominate confirmed deal activity.
Suzanne Selfors's 2025 title (Sam Squirrel) is the most recent signal on the roster and suggests Bourret continues to work actively in illustrated juvenile fiction, including newer series-friendly chapter/early chapter material.
Query status is confirmed open as of May 2026 via direct observation of the live submission form — but always verify immediately before submitting, as status can change without notice.
Lately
Bourret's submission form was directly observed to be open in May 2026, confirming active query acceptance across represented categories.
What Michael is looking for
Bourret has a strong, proven track record here — from literary National Book Award-caliber work to commercial, series-driven YA. Both prestige-minded character studies and high-concept genre-inflected YA (including supernatural and thriller threads) are represented on the client list, suggesting genuine range within the category.
Series-driven middle grade with commercial appeal appears to be a core strength. The roster shows a preference for high-concept premises with strong world-building — fantasy and adventure particularly well represented. Author-illustrators and prose novelists both appear on the list.
Picture books and early juvenile fiction appear on the roster, most recently with a 2025 illustrated chapter title. Writers querying in this space should note that the agency's guidelines may distinguish between author-only and author-illustrator submissions — check the current submission guidelines carefully before sending.
Adult fiction — including thriller and women's fiction — appears in the genre list, though confirmed adult fiction deals are less prominent than the children's categories in the available record. Writers with commercial adult fiction should query with awareness that this may be a more selective area relative to Bourret's children's and YA work.
Adult nonfiction including memoir and prescriptive nonfiction (business, self-help, and related categories) is represented on the client list. Susan RoAne's long-running business/networking titles suggest an appetite for practical, voice-driven nonfiction with broad commercial appeal.
Not the right fit
On Michael's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Michael
Confirm the form is still open immediately before submitting — status can shift without announcement.
Lead with your category and age group in the first line of your query; Bourret's list spans children's through adult, so clarity about where your book sits is essential.
If you are pitching a series-friendly middle grade or YA concept, make that arc potential visible early — the sales record shows a strong affinity for multi-book stories.
For children's fiction (picture books and early chapter books), check the current submission guidelines to confirm whether the open call applies to author-only submissions or requires author-illustrator packages.
Literary YA with commercial hooks is well within scope — referencing the Zarr/McMann range (emotionally grounded character work alongside high-concept premises) signals you understand the list.
Adult nonfiction submissions should arrive as formal proposals following the agency's nonfiction proposal guidelines, which are published separately on the agency site.
Address Bourret by name and use neutral language — do not assume pronouns.
Avoid hyperbolic self-comparisons; the client list already sets a high bar, so ground your pitch in the specifics of your manuscript's premise and emotional core.